UT Austin Group International Travel Approval Process

If you plan to take a group of students or lead a program abroad, you must submit a request for group travel approval to Texas Global Risk and Safety (GRS). If your trip includes destinations that appear on the UT Austin Restricted Regions list, your travel must also be approved by the International Oversight Committee (IOC), per the University of Texas System's International Travel Policy (UTS 190).

Please email grs@austin.utexas.edu if you have questions about the international group travel process, or if you are unsure if you are required to obtain approval for your planned group travel.

Student organizations must obtain approval from the Office of the Dean of Students (Student Activities/Student Organization Travel).

The sponsoring or hosting department Chair/Unit Head must review and sign requests for faculty- or staff-led group travel. They may delegate this responsibility to another leader in the same office. View the current list of UT Austin Deans and Chairs.

Submit Request to GRS

The program or group organizer must complete the Safety Assessment for an International Group Experience (SAIGE) process, and the Restricted Regions Addendum, if applicable. 

New Programs

Group leaders for all programs should check the UT Austin Restricted Regions list prior to completing the SAIGE form; approval for any programs with travel to locations on this list requires completion of the restricted regions addendum (found at the end of each SAIGE form). 

Established Student Organization Programs

Established Faculty or Staff-Led Programs

All SAIGE forms must be typed.

Completed requests must be submitted at least 3 months prior to your proposed departure date.

Submitting a request to GRS (and the IOC, if applicable) does not guarantee approval to conduct a program or lead a group abroad, so program/group organizers should not secure any travel arrangements or announce or distribute program details or promotional materials without final GRS approval. Failure to allow sufficient time for GRS review may result in a denied application and/or delayed start date for travel.

In some cases, GRS may decide to issue a "preliminary approval," which will let you move forward with planning and promoting the program/group. You are then responsible for contacting GRS 6-8 weeks before the program/group start date to request "final approval." GRS will review the request once again, in light of any change in circumstances or security climate since the preliminary approval.

Whenever there is unforeseen, last-minute travel that does not allow for requests to be submitted according to the stated deadlines, you should include a statement specifically addressing the circumstances of the unanticipated trip, in addition to your formal request. These late requests cannot be guaranteed a decision prior to the proposed departure date and may result in a denied application and/or delayed start date for travel.

Student Requirements

All student participants are required to register their travel either in the UT Austin International Travel Registry (ITR) or in the MyAbroad portal. Registration automatically enrolls participants in UT's mandatory Overseas Insurance. Instructions on how to proceed will be sent to you if your program is approved. 

Approved Programs

  • An approved SAIGE is valid for three years if traveling to a non-Restricted Region or for one year if traveling to a Restricted Region, if no substantive programmatic or itinerary changes occur.
  • The finalized Emergency Action Plan and group roster must be submitted no later than 30 days prior to departure.

The IOC retains the right to withdraw one's travel authorization, withhold reimbursement and/or take other disciplinary actions if necessary for noncompliance with the UT Travel Policy.